hardware problem

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org]On Behalf Of D G Teed
> Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 7:22 AM
> To: DAve
> Cc: FreeBSD Questions
> Subject: Re: hardware problem
> 
> 
> Every system I've seen with his description of the problem, where
> the power supply can't even run it's own fan, is having a power supply
> problem.  Power supplies are very often low quality these days and can't
> handle the stresses of typical electrical grid fluctuations. 

My experience has not been that the power supplies can't handle the
electrical grid.

What I've mostly seen is that the power supply FANS get dust in them,
the fans slow down or stop, airflow through the supply drops, and
then the supply overheats.  Once it overheats, the supply will never
be reliable again and must be thrown out.

Turning off a computer for a while that has an overheated power
supply is a surefire way to have the supply never restart again.

Ted